


Life & Luminescence

by RedlaSunShowers029, TrashPan (RedlaSunShowers029)



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bat!Brooke, Dark Mage!Squip, Demons, Dragon Shifter!Christine, Dream Communication, F/M, Hypersensitive!Jeremy, Jeremy has SPD, Light Mage!Jeremy, Lion!Rich, M/M, Multi, Sensory Processing Disorder, Stagedorks, Telepathy, There's an original demon concept if that's worth tagging, a good bit of focus on stim elements and psychological difficulties, boyf riends - Freeform, meremine - Freeform, more tags will be added as plot progresses, sorcery, there is some romance involved but it's not super focal, there's definitely some semi-cannon-typical allegories for anxiety and depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-08-29 17:23:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16748368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/RedlaSunShowers029, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/TrashPan
Summary: A strange entity seems to have taken interest in Jeremy Heere, appearing as a recurring pattern in his dreams. Prevalent as it is, however, for what reason he can't quite explain. It isn't like he really considered himself noteworthy for anything much, but when Christine seems to believe it's linked to some form of magic he's willing to entertain the thought.What became a simple search for answers becomes a long journey into the heart of the unknown, and soon it seems an entire party had been formed to search the nearby forest for information.A heavily insecure light mage with the potential to heal magical ailments and ward off hostile entities. A peppy dragon shifter who hasn't a clue what she's doing, but sure as hell has a bit of fun with it. A confident boy who seems to know the mysterious realm like the back of his hand. A lion, a bat, and an array of other peculiar wildlife. And something else entirely.Something much more sinister than anyone could've expected, and it seems that it'll take a miracle to get out of the forest unscathed - especially when wherever they tread, whether they know it or not, someone is following them.





	1. Lucid Dreaming Never Felt So Strange

**Author's Note:**

> I've come to terms with the fact that I write fanfiction as a means of creating my own original works, particularly with exploring the world in which AUs take place. Therefore, I decided to take a world I've been working on since mid-2015 and explore it a little deeper. If anyone's curious, that's why there's a lot of non-cannon interactions involved! I'm still trying to keep as close to cannon personalities as possible though.
> 
> (Also the author had SPD so I wanted to explore/project that onto Jeremy a bit for fun. I'm loving everyone's neurodiversity headcannons so why not work on one of my own?)
> 
> Hope you guys like it because this is tons of fun to write.

The world had never felt so strange to Jeremy in his entire life. Events like the ones he'd experienced were supposedly nonexistent, living in the realm of fairytales and nothing more. However, there was no denying this was indeed real somehow, in some shape or form; there was something which had brought him here, and he couldn't tell what it was, exactly. Heck, he wasn't even sure where he was.

There was a faded mark on his palm, something which seemed to be a tattoo of some sort that he couldn't distinguish. It resembled a zero with a dash slashed through the center, made up of glittering, luminescent pale blue particles. When he turned his hand it seemed to drop some of these particles, like dust, from his palm. The rest of the world around him was pitch black and empty, as though no one else was or had ever been around prior to his arrival. Odd.

What made matters stranger was the creature who finally did appear on the scene. He couldn't get a good glimpse, but they seemed from their silhouette they were half human, half animal, emanating a strangely alluring aura even from afar. Jeremy found himself moving closer to it outside of his own volition, as though caught in a trance of curiosity. A fluffy tail swished at their side, the broad snout of a big cat turning to face him. By the time he was close enough the rest of their form wasn't apparent, but something seemed off: the only features that were visible even right in front of them out were piercing blue eyes and a maw full of sharp teeth, the occasional spot on their coat gleaming and flickering. They grinned, reaching out a hand.

“I was wondering when I'd get the chance to meet you, however… Informally this may be.”

“What do you -?”

Sickening static took over before Jeremy could even finish his question, jolted right back to reality. The harsh blare of his alarm had him groaning, slamming a hand down on it before the sound could begin to drive him mad. It wasn't like things were easy; hell, it was far from it. But why did things have to be so hard? Honestly, he wasn't even sure he knew how to realistically answer that question.

Yawning, Jeremy rubbed his eyes, trying to recollect his already scattered thoughts. This wasn't the only time he'd had a similar dream, but he usually woke up before he could even get close to them… Whatever they were. He wanted to think it was just a simple occurrence, but with how prevalent it was, he honestly wasn't sure.

Ah, well. It could wait until he was able to give it more thought.

His hands fumbled with the covers, turning them back as he slid out of bed. Even before he'd made his way over to his dresser he could tell today wasn't going to be pleasant; everything he touched felt scratchy and discomforting, every sound making him jump. Great, not even out of the house yet and he was already overstimulated. Given the way high school worked, this wasn't going to make things easy.

It wasn't like this was new, at least. He'd known for a good portion of his life that he was hypersensitive in ways which his peers usually weren't - at the very least, everyone he knew except Christine. Perhaps it wasn't in the same vein as his own troubles, but they at least had perpetual overstimulation in common, even if she didn't seem to mind it the way that he did. At least he'd get to see her again once he got to school.

He'd just have to find a way to get through the day.

Sighing, he got dressed hastily and grabbed his bag, slipping out of the house as quietly as possible.

The trip there was uneventful and nothing outside of the norm; he managed to catch the bus, but at the loss of his composure. Things were less noisy than they usually were, at least, one of the few pros of waking up in the dead hours of morning. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes occasionally, he kept more or less to himself, taking up the full seat with the refusal for physical contact. At the very least, that was until they reached the last few stops and Christine stepped on, spotting him almost immediately and walking back in his direction. Jeremy scooted over almost immediately, giving her an appreciative glance as she flopped down beside him.

“What a week!”

Jeremy couldn't help but grin upon her demeanor; while she was her typical upbeat self, there was more than a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

“You could sure say that again! Really glad we get a break after this. Just one more day - thank god.”

Christine stretched, sliding an arm across the back of the seat, not quite touching him. This was her usual way of indicating she’d sensed some discomfort, and didn't want to immediately launch into tactile forms of affection before positive it was okay. Jeremy merely shook his head, pulling away a little sheepishly.

“Y-Yeah, sorry about that. It's just one of those days.”

Christine slid her arm back understandingly, folding both of them in her lap. “Don't worry about it. So, got any plans over the break?”

“If I did, you would've heard about them. My schedule is pretty open, actually. Just let me know a little in advance.”

“You can count on it!” Christine had to voluntarily stop herself from nudging him, her energy still at its usual high level which was hard to contain. “Maybe this time we can finally figure out what's up with that recurring dream of yours.”

“I hope so; it just seems to get weirder the more times I have it. And not unconventionally weird like most dreams; its consistency is unnerving as fuck.” Jeremy ran a hand through his curly brown hair, trying to keep his mindset in order and remember the details. “I at least got a closer look at it.”

Christine straightened her posture, interest rising by the second. “Oh, yeah? What'd you see?”

Jeremy’s expression twisted into confusion, raising a skeptical brown. “It uh… It looked like a leopard… But I can't be sure. The hell does that even mean? I can't make heads or tails of it - u-uh, no pun… Intended?”

“A leopard? I'll have to figure out what that represents.” Christine had recently acquired a dream dictionary of sorts, and had taken a noted amount of interest in it after he'd first expressed the odd, consistent pattern of unconscious thought over the past couple nights. While neither of them had any clue about what it meant, it was still fun to try and figure it all out. In either case, Jeremy would take pretty much any opportunity to spend more time with her. They'd known each other for so long that he could hardly pinpoint when they'd met exactly… But nevertheless, she was probably the only person he felt really got him. At the very least, that was for the current moment.

“Maybe we can see after class? I-If you're available, of course.”

“Should be! Just let me know.”

“Y-Yeah, sure thing.”

The bus pulled up to the school, and the swarm of students exited in single file. Pulling at the sleeves of his cardigan, Jeremy swallowed uneasily as he, too, joined the crowd.

The rest of the trip into the building wasn't much better. High school hallways were notoriously packed, which was just no good for sensory deficits. More than once he jumped as a shoulder brushed past him, a rowdy upperclassman not looking where they were going and slamming into him. By the time he actually managed to get to class, Jeremy was shaky and uncomfortable, wiping the sweat from his brow and counting down on the time left in each class.

An hour and a half… His nails dug into his desk, trying his damnedest to concentrate. Twenty minutes, and he was gnawing on the end of his pencil. Finally, the bell for the end of class gave him some reprieve. Four classes went on in similar fashion, until finally the day had finished and he was free to go.

Thankfully on the trip back people were quieter, and this allowed Jeremy some peace of mind. He found himself leaning back in his seat, staring out the window and absently watching everything whizz by. But it was over for the moment, so no doubt things would be easier for a good week or two.

Boy was he wrong.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Okay, here it is!"

Christine thrusted out the relatively heavy dream manual, turning the pages. “Remind me, leopard, right?”

“Think so. Could've been something else, but definitely a big cat of sorts. And, uh, there wasn't anything else around. Like nothing at all - just an empty, pitch black room of time and space.” Jeremy rolled his sleeves back, trying to stop himself from fidgeting too much. Relaxing was a feat in of itself, and not one he was particularly good at for that matter. “If that matters, anyways.”

“Guess your unconscious wanted you to focus on something specific, I suppose. Ooh! Think I found something.”

Jeremy leaned closer to her as Christine skimmed the pages, hyperfocusing on the passage. “Trapped or wild?”

“Wild, I think. I don't know, it was… Built strangely. But I didn't see any restraints.”

“Gotcha. Well, I think I've got a good sense what it might be.”

“Really? What?”

“Sounds like someone's trying to get in contact with you, possibly from another realm. The question is who, and where.”

Jeremy scoffed, although took more interest as Christine's earnest demeanor didn't falter in the slightest. “Wait… You're serious?”

“Mmhmm. I've seen some pretty strange things around the area, and some of them I bet have something to do with magic. What do you think?”

“I haven't seen anything too unusual, or at least not supernatural. What exactly have you seen? And here?”

“Around here, at least,” Christine replied nonchalantly, closing the book and setting it aside. “I could try and show you a likely area for that kind of activity if you want to try and figure out where it's all coming from.”

Jeremy blinked, astounded bug intrigued. “You have specific areas marked out already? What exactly have you seen?”

“I don't know how to describe it, but I've definitely seen something unusual,” Christine assured. “What do you say, Jeremy? Want to check them out?”

“That depends on where you were thinking to look.”

Christine wandered over to the window, gazing out absently. She had almost entirely forgotten to respond to Jeremy's question, lost in thought.

“Christine?”

As if on cue, she snapped back to attention. “Hmm?”

“What exactly did you have in mind?”


	2. What Lurks In The Bushes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes what lurks on the outskirts of the forest isn't as deadly as it seems.

_Want to find me? Come on - you're going to have to do better than that._

A strange presence had decided to make itself known on the outskirts of the forest: tawny, bold, and undoubtedly beast-like. A whip-like, tufted tail lashed against the bushes, watching from the shelter it provided. Occasionally blue eyes peered out at their surroundings, watching, waiting. Claws jutted out as the voice got closer, awaiting the approaching human to get just a little nearer before making a move…

Great. This had to be the third time this week that the creature had gotten out, and this was hardly going to be the last time. It'd be hard to spot the beast in the clearing, and honestly to some extent that was probably a good thing. But not in this context. Brushing past the undergrowth, a flash of bright red feathers caught in the human’s peripheral vision. Was that him, though?

“Rich? Come on, man - enough hiding. Can you come out of there...?”

“What - not even going to try and pull me back out thith time? I expected better.”

The voice was cheerful enough with a slight lisp, but had a sort of condescending undertone to it all the same. Wings flapped from behind the bushes, tail growing still. “Oh wait - you're serious?”

“The last time I tried to pull you out, I got pricked. Your pelt might be resistant to thorns but you're forgetting I'm not like you. My skin’s not that tough.”

“Hmmph… Fine. Anyone around?”

“Nope, don't worry. Coast is clear.”

No sooner had he spoken than the beast emerged, tossing their head from side to side. What had appeared before the human was mostly lion based, with a sizable, slender body, big paws, and a thin tail raised in greeting. Both the tuft of his tail and his mane were a golden brown, with a red streak at the center of each, from the tip descending downward. A small barb adorned the tip of each ear, all the more apparent as the ears reared back in slight annoyance.

“Better?”

“A little closer.”

Rich sighed, taking another step. Along his back were a pair of wings which resembled a parrot’s, feathers a luxurious crimson and teal. His back took on the same blue coloration, as did his paws, which seemed somewhere between the typical lion’s and something more avian. At the very least of this oddity, his knees and elbows seemed to have some form of plumage along them, and when he shook his head, his eyes had green and black scales surrounding them. These scales seemed to adhere similar around his legs as well. There was no question that there was something strange about this lion, but honestly this wasn't any more of a shock to the human before him, even as he lazily drew a paw to wash off with his forked tongue.

“If you want me closer, Michael, you're going to have to take care or that yourself.”

Michael shrugged, stepping forward. “Now that I can see you, no problem there. It's just hard to get to you when you're surrounded by thorns.”

The moment he got close enough, Rich approached, barreling him over. Huffing softly, the lion purred, nuzzling against his cheek. Michael squirmed beneath him, demeanor at first irritated then quickly shifting to amused.

“Okay, I get it! You can get off me now.”

Rich merely pulled back, giving a soft nod. “Fine by me. You're going to have to work on that if you want to go back with me, though,” the lion responded, kneading the ground. “The forest isn't the safest place to be around.”

“I'm pretty sure we both know that by now,” Michael responded, unaffected. “Remember what happened last time?”

“Do you really want to remember that?”

Michael hesitated.

“Not really. You get what I'm saying, though.”

“Eh, fair enough. So, what? You want to join me out there for a bit? Sun isn't down just yet; we might have time.”

On the contrary the sky was beginning to darken, evening sinking into the dead of night. Before Michael could respond, the lion’s eyes dilated, hackles rising, teeth baring into a snarl outside his own volition. For most this sight would've been frightening all on its own, but this too was commonplace. Before Rich could get into proper position to pounce, Michael clamped his muzzle, snapping him out of it.

“Er… We can try to go back tomorrow.” Then, speaking softer: “They're close, aren't they?”

Rich brushed a paw against Michael's hands to get him to release his grasp, careful not to tear skin or damage his hoodie in the process. Shaking himself, he turned in the direction of the house.

“They're always close to the outskirts, now that they know we're here. Wanting a second chance… But no, they're not coming any closer than this. Let me guess - you want me follow you back home instead?”

“We both know what happens if you don't.”

Rich didn't respond, stretching and following at Michael’s heels as they returned. To be fair, it wasn't like this sight was visible to any more than the pair of them, as the truth was shrouded beneath several spells and glamours. Where a lion stood, a young cat walked instead, ginger fur bristling in the wind. Nights were always hard with the magic Richard had come into contact with; that much was a known fact. It seemed that only the solace of their house was enough to keep the spell from taking effect. But even still, that seemed to be enough, and it was damn well worth it to keep Rich out of harm’s way.

Twelve years of Rich’s company had grown on Michael; while he hadn't anyone else to talk to, the lion’s spunk and determination kept him going. Didn't really help during the school day, but it at least meant he had a confidant to come home to - and consequently a wide knowledge of magic he was certain few others knew about. For the time being, these two things were enough.

Humans weren't supposed to know about what dwelled in the forest - not without the direct guidance of one of the native species, of course. Technically, Rich wasn't one of the guiding species, but he'd found no other choice when he'd gotten lost and thrust into the throng of New Jersey - or the Human Lands, as the forest-dwellers called it. It was only with the glamours that he managed to get the aid he needed, finding that he actually appreciated Michael's company more than expected. So even when the glamours wore off and his secret had been exposed, he decided against running away. He'd had the chance but he couldn't bring himself to do it. But of course, that wasn't to say that he didn't occasionally see how far he could get when Michael wasn't looking or out of the house, even returning to the forest for some time if he got the chance.

Rich’s tail twitched as the warmth of the house hit him, heaving a sigh of relief. Already, the curse was beginning to drain, relief flooding his veins. Michael, too, relaxed, shutting the door behind them as they stepped into the quiet house.

Michael's moms were working late, so it meant the house would be empty for a good while. All the better for the moment; even if only his side of it was coherent from an outside standpoint, talking with Rich often had a suspiciously conversational tone to it for those who might overhear. It was easier when there was no chance of that.

“Less scattered now?”

“Much.”

Rich yawned, folding his wings against his sides. He pushed past Michael lightly, his paws landing softly on the stairs. Blue eyes looked over questioningly, only beginning to climb when he got a confirming nod. The lion’s steps were quick and forceful, making his way up the stairs long before Michael could follow him much further. Nevertheless, he still waited at the top of the flight, leading the way into the bedroom.

The lights were out, plunging the pair into darkness the moment they arrived into the space. The occasional click or whir of technology was about as much as it came to with auditory factors. The occasional flash of light was all that took away from the dark ambiance. It was still warm enough, if one could ignore the bit of breeze funneling through the half-open window. Peaceful, but it offered a niche sort of solace, one that many had to get adjusted to. Once both of them were fully in, Rich pushed the door shut with his tail and clambered over to the side of the bed, sprawling out almost immediately.

Even to this day, the lion’s companionship was strange but warmly invited. While Rich could be a bit rough and daresay aggressive at times, he was genuine, and his loyalty was uncontested. The glow in his eyes and along his back was the only thing that made him recognizable in the remainder of the room, regarding Michael curiously.

“You heading off to bed now?”

“Not a chance.”

Michael seamlessly made his way through the dark, knowing the exact location of the television merely by feeling around. The soft glow illuminated the space along his bed, grabbing one of the controllers next to it. He reached for the second one, too, looking over at Rich hesitantly.

“Yeah, sure thing.”

As the controller was tossed to him, the lion caught it seamlessly in his paws. Then, carefully, he set it down, paws resting on the buttons. “Just a couple rounds, though, alright?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Both of their focus returned to the screen, watching the flashing numbers count down. It took mere seconds until the zombies began to appear before them, their skin torn, eyes dead and luminescent with hunger and bloodlust. Rich mashed the buttons on the controller unceremoniously; Michael, however, had a relatively good aim, taking out several of them with ease.

“The forest isn't much different than this at night. If your reflexes are as good as they are for Apocalypse of the Damned, you should be all set.”

“I'm working on them,” Michael replied cheerfully. “Should be better than they were last week.”

“And your aim?”

The lion’s gaze flicked over to a bow and quiver in the corner, momentarily distracting him from the game. The vibration of the controller signed defeat, and he sighed, crossing his paws beside it.

“Dude, archery’s three times a week! I'm getting plenty of practice, don't worry.” All the while, Michael's eyes didn't drift off the screen, calm and focused. “Why archery, though?”

“In case we get stuck out at night,” Rich responded. “A ranged weapon is better for scattering _their_ signals. With a blade, you'd have to get a direct hit, and a pretty good one at that. They come in packs; you know that. We've both seen it. It'd be too late for that, most likely. And if they get too close…”

The lion reared, tail flicking with agitation. Without warning, he dropped to the floor, and with one swift motion caught Michael in a barrel roll. Michael squeaked, dropping the controller beside him. Thankfully Rich was careful not to hurt him in the process, but it didn't mean the roughhousing was appreciated, regardless of intent. Looking back over at the screen, the message, projected in blood, rang clear enough.

“Game over?”

“Game over. So you'd better be ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expensive Headphones BROTP? Expensive Headphones BROTP.
> 
> Whoo, this chapter was fun to write! Hopefully I got personalities down alright - I'm very new to Rich, and I'm still learning how to write Michael even if I'm more experienced with him. Sorry for the vagueness! I already have plotted out what the potential danger is, but don't want to reveal it too soon.
> 
> Also just wanna mention in case it's unclear: Rich isn't supposed to sound particularly hostile or mean about things, just cautious. While he's given Michael a significant amount of information about the world that lies in the forest, he's still very aware that humans aren't nearly as hardy or prepared to face hardship. He's a little rough, but he means well.
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you guys think!


	3. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christine and Jeremy decide to investigate what may lie in the woods.

****Evening had just recently swept through the sky as they approached the woods, making it a little difficult to see. The world seemed somewhat distant while standing on this border between the city and forest, as if some sort of unusual energy pulsed within it.

“Are you sure we should be out here right now?”

Christine readjusted her gaze, shooting Jeremy a confused look. “Something wrong with it?”

“Noo, it's just… It's kind of late, and it seems like this is the most likely time for something dangerous to c - what was that…?”

The rustling of leaves caught Jeremy off guard, jumping back in alarm. The sound was so much closer than he'd expected, waiting for the creature to come closer. Finally, it seemed it revealed itself to both of them and swooped closer, and neither could quite take their eyes off of it.

The creature looked much like a bat, but distinctly different from anything from the natural world. Their fur was a thick, fluffy blonde, blue eyes fixating on them as they hooked onto a nearby tree branch for easier observation. In the darkening sky, something else seemed much more apparent: along with a long, luxuriously-furred prehensile tail, which was strange enough on its own, there were also a couple markings which stood out: they resembled a double helix, or at least that was the only parallel Jeremy could even begin to draw from them.

And what's more, the creature seemed to be smiling at them. It was a sort sort of smile, really, but it was unmistakably beaming down at them - in, well, more ways than one. The lights might've left no trail, but they certainly had their impact.

Jeremy could feel the jitteriness beside him, the involuntary display of excitement emanating from Christine in waves. Jeremy found himself fidgeting a little himself, although soon stopped as the creature tilted their head, perplexed.

“Uh, hey there.”

“Hey,” the bat responded as if on cue, leaving Jeremy shocked beyond belief. “Deciding to check things out?”

Jeremy nodded, although barely moved all the while. The bat simply looked him over, then gave a soft chuckle as she diverted her attention to Christine. “Both of you?”

Christine seemed to be undergoing a similar sort of surprise, but it was an eager one opposed to uncertain and nervous. She found her voice before Jeremy even managed to say anything audible, let alone coherent.

“Just wanted to see what was around here for the moment.”

“Does it meet your expectations?”

“Not sure,” Christine admitted with a soft hum. “But this is really cool.”

“It's even nicer in the daytime,” the bat chirred, raising her wings.

“Aren't you a bat, though?”

Upon Jeremy's first coherent sentence in the past few minutes, the bat merely shrugged. “Acacian bats aren't exactly the standard type. We change a good bit depending on what times and…” Another rustle was audible behind her, turning towards the sound. “... Creatures are around. You probably shouldn't be out this late.”

With a resigned sigh, the bat fluttered from her perch, approaching them carefully. In what seemed a dazed, almost hypnotic motion, Jeremy extended a hand to her. Why he wasn't positive, but to his surprise she flitted down, landing right in it.

“Why? What happens when -”

“Woah.”

Jeremy looked over to the source of the rustling. The trees seemed empty, but there was a sort of negative presence afoot which was hard to discern different from any form of standard fantasy. That feeling of hopeless, existential dread - and the ink on the trees, was that natural? Was any of it natural? It only took the gaze of twelve gleaming white eyes to give him the answer.

“We should probably head back,” Christine murmured reluctantly. Reaching over, she ruffled the bat’s fur with a similar sort of impulse to Jeremy's, and didn't feel inclined to stop at the bat’s contented squeaks. “Thanks for the warning.”

“Not a problem,” the bat got out, finally pushing Christine's hand away with a wing. “But feel free to come back in the daytime. Name’s Brooke, by the way - I'll be around.”

“Christine, and this is Jeremy.”

“It's uh… Nice to meet you?”

Brooke nodded, flitting from Jeremy's palm. “Now go before the Lurkers get ahold of ya. Just because it's been a while doesn't mean they won't try again to get into human territory.”

“What are-?”

But by the time Jeremy began to ask, Brooke was already gone. Signing, he rubbed one sleeve of his cardigan, looking over Christine with a mutual bewilderment.

“That was certainly something,” he breathed. Christine merely nudged him, grinning.

“What'd I tell ya? I knew there was something out there.”

“Well I stand corrected. But what?”

Christine took another look at the trees in the clearing, then back at Jeremy. “That's a question for tomorrow. Right now, we should probably head back before the beasts try and get us.” Her fingers curled into claws at this, before returning to normal. “Wherever they're hiding.”

“Mmhmm. Sounds like a plan to me - I'd rather not have any run-ins any time soon.”

Jeremy withdrew his hand, surprised to see little blue sparks emanate from his touch. Looking back down at his hand he saw it - made up of tiny blue lights was the square zero mark with the dash through the center, as though through this interaction with the bat alone it had been engraved into his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's pretty short but it sets up some stuff later on! This AU nor any of my other BMC ones are dead - just plotting them out whoops.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> To be perfectly clear, Jeremy's primary relationships are flipped for this AU; Christine is his closest confidant, and there's a good bit of pining for Michael later on in the plot. That's not to say this isn't going to have a meremine slant, but it's not a crucial part of the plot one way or another.
> 
> As for when Michael comes in? Soon. Probably in the next couple chapters.


End file.
